Safety hook



Dec. z, 1952 E. c. ELsNl-:R 2,619,698

SAFETY HOOK Filed May 20, 1950 Snventor (Ittorneg Patented Dec. 2, 1952 SAFETY HOOK Edwin C. Elsner, Glendale, Calif., assignor to C. J. W. Corporation, North Hollywood, Calif., a corporation of California Application May 20, 1950, Serial No. 163,222

1 Claim.

This invention relates to a hook such as used at the end of a strap or band to effect safe connection of the strap or band to an eye, loop, or the like.

Various types of safety hooks are known, each embodying a hook element that serves as the connecting means, and a guard element that obviates inadvertent release of the hook element. In most of such prior devices, the guard element is carried by the hook element and is slidable thereon to effect release, such structures, therefore, entailing pre-assembly of the two elements and also special design involving relatively high cost. Other prior devices string the hook and guard elements on the eye at the end of a ropeor through a thimble lining such an eye, anddepend on a rotational movement of the elements in the eye to so position them that they may be separated when desired. Such rotationa1 movement throws the parts laterally with respect to the line of pull of the rope mounting them, a condition that frequently cannot be obtained for lack of space permitting such movement. Moreover, such rotation-permitting engagement f the hook and guard elements is a source of friction that increases wear and, therefore, impairs safety. Also, the pull on the device is often displaced at an angle relative to the pull of the rope and may result in slack that will effect loosening of a crate or unit of cargo intended to be secured.

The present invention contemplates and it is an object thereof to provide a safety hook that is characterized by the simplicity and sturdiness of itsconstruction, and to so form the same that alignment with the line of pull thereon is assured at all times, the elements of the hook being disengageable or separable only by a straightline movement of one of them relative to the other.

Another object of the invention is to provide a safety hook, as above, that is designed particularly for connection with the end eye of a relatively wide webbing band so that rotation of the hook in the eye is obviated, said eye having a depth of such degree that straight-line displacementof one element of the hook is aorded relative to the other element, whereby separation or disengagement of the elements is readily effected.

The invention also has for its objects to provide such means that are positive in operation, convenient in use, easily installed in a working position and easily disconnected therefrom, economical of manufacture, relatively simple, and of general superiority and serviceability.

The invention also comprises novel details of construction and novel combinations and arrangements of parts, which will more fully appear in the course of the following description. However, the drawings merely show and the following description merely describes one embodiment of the present invention, which is given by way of illustration or example only.

In the drawings, like reference characters designate similar parts in the several views.

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a preferred form of safety hook according to the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof.

The safety hook that is illustrated comprises, generally, a hook element 5, a guard element 6, and an eye 1 on the end of a band of webbing 8 and mounting both elements 5 and 6.

While the hook element 5 may be formed in various ways, the same is formed of a single length of round-sectioned steel rod bent to comprise an element symmetrical on a plane represented by line 9 and extends through the longitudinal center of the band 8. Said element 5 is formed to have a transverse bar portion II). at the ends of which there are sharply curved arcuate bends I I that extend through arcs of approximately 135 and terminate in straight portions I2. The latter portions, thereby converge toward each other and include an angle approximating The portion I0 and the two portions I2 define an isosceles triangle in which portion I0 is the base and the angles I3 included between said base and the portions I 2, are acute, being in the nature of 45.

The converging ends of portions I2 terminate in oppositely curved bends I4 that may, if desired, contact on the plane of line 9 but, as shown, are somewhat separated on each side of said line. The ends of both bends I4 are then formed as parallel curved hook portions I5 that curve through an arc of some '180, said latter two portions defining a bight I6. The ends of hook portions I5 are extended as parallel portions I1, at the ends of which are formed right angle bends I 8 curved reversely to the hook portions I5. The ends of bends I8 are extended to form relatively short terminating portions I9 that are substantially parallel to portions I1.

Thus, it will be seen that the portions I5, I1, I8 and I9, on both sides of the plane of line 9, are parallel; that the portions I2 and I4 constitute the shank of the hook element; that the portions I5 define the bight thereof; that the portions I1 comprise the bill of the hook element; and that bends I8 and portions I9 constitute a guard loop for the guard element 6.

The guard element 6 comprises a conventional D-ring of round-sectioned rod substantially similar to that of element 5. In the usual manner, element 6 comprises a transverse bar part 2li and a curved part 2|. In this case, the distance between the middle of part 20 and the farthermost opposite'portion of part 2I is made to be substantially the same or slightly less than the direct distance between the middle of part I5 and the guard loop defined by bends I8.

The band 8 comprises any suitable woven or integrally made pliable member. In this case, the width of the band is substantially equal to or slightly greater than the length of parts I9 and 2U so that, normally, the band cannot be made to t into the triangle defined by parts I and I2 of element 5 or within element E, without some crowding. This obviates end play of the safety hook and maintains the pull thereof on the longitudinal center of the band, and also obviates any tendency for the hook elements 5 and 6 to rotate in the plane of the band or transverseto the plane of line 9.

The eye I on the end of the band may be formed in any suitable manner. As shown, after the end- 22 of the band is passed through both .elements 5 and 6, while one is above the other, said end is doubled back on the band and permanently secured thereto as by stitching 23.

-While such eye construction is generally conventional, in the present instance the depth thereof, as exemplied by dimension 213, is made to be greater than the distance the element 5 must be moved rearwardly (to the dot-dash line position) to clear the ends of the terminating portions I9 from the curved portion 2l of element 9. However, the dimension 24 is limited to be considerably less than the length of parts I i3 and 29 to further obviate any tendency of elements 5 and 6 to become rotationally displaced in eye I in the plane of band 8. Said elements, of course, are free to swing inv eye 'I around the respective parts I and 20 thereof.

' The efficacy in use of the present safety hook should be evident. With the hook element retracted to the rear of eye 'I and the guard element disengaged therefrom, as shown by the dot-dash lines of Fig. 1, the bight It of element 5 can beY engaged with an eye, loop or other connection means. Now, while band s is still slack, guard element 6 is swung over the ends of terminating portions I9 and the same comes to rest on portions I'I or on adjacent portions of hook portions I5. Then, as the slack in band 8 is taken up, eye 1, together with element F5, is drawn rearwardly until both bar portions I9 and 29 are engaged with the bight 25 of eye 'I, and the curved portion 2I of the guard element 9 is drawn l into the guard loop of hook element 5 so that the guard element closes hook I5. It will be clear that it will be impossible to separate the interengaged elements 5 and 6 until suicient slack has been provided in band 8 to allow forward movement of the eye 1, whereby separation of the elements may be effected.

While the invention that has been illustrated and described is now regarded asthe preferred embodiment, the construction is, of course, subject to modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is, therefore, not desired to restrict the invention to the particular form of construction illustrated and described, but to cover all modications that may fall within the scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

A safety hook comprising in combination, a hook element formedy from a single length of metal rod stock bent to form a bar portion, from the ends of which extend forwardly and downwardly converging arms, the free ends of the arms being disposed in parallel relation to each other and bent upwardly to form a substantially S-shaped hook portion, a guard element of substantially D-shaped formation for disposition on top of the hook element, a flexible band having an elongated loop formed at one end thereof, said band being of substantially the same width as the length of the bar portion of thehook element and the straight leg portion of the D- shaped guard element, said bar portion and said leg portion extending transversely through the loop, the curved front portion of the D-Shaped guard element being removably engaged-over the upper portion of the S-shaped hook portion to normally close said hook element, the vbar por'- tion of the hook element being adapted for rearward sliding movement in the elongatedv loop to permit disengagement of the S-shaped hook portion from the curved front portion of theY D- shaped guard element.

EDWIN C. ELSNER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record inthe le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Sweden -i Apr. 10, 1945 

